08 January 2007

Kickshaws

As many of you know, I’m a reenactor. So on top of making historically accurate clothing, I sometimes need to make historically accurate food. Recently some friends and I had an 18th century Afternoon At Home. We all brought a “kickshaw” to share. I made mine out of Lobscouse and Spotted Dog: Which It's a Gastronomic Companion to the Aubrey/Maturin Novels. If you’ve any interest at all in the food of the Regency period, I highly recommend this book.

Kickshaws, an English bastardization of the French quelque chose, are basically the same thing as hors d’oeuvres or amuse bouche. They’re tiny things one might put out for guests to nibble on.

I made Maids of Honour (p. 41-42). According to Grossman and Thomas, these were also known as “cheesecakes”, which is odd, as they haven’t any cheese in them. But they are eaqsy to make, really tasty, and they went over great.

Lightly grease a 12 cup muffin tin. Roll the pastry out on a floured board to 1/8”. Cut rounds slighty larger than the top of the muffin cups (a fluted cookie cutter is pretty, but a cup will work just fine). Put one round in each cup and press down gently to the bottom. Spoon the filling into the cups, almost all the way to the top.

Vicki, I got rose water at a local snootie food shop (which are a dime a dozen here in the Bay Area). You could make these without it though, and I think they'd be just as good.

Monica, the food is half the fun, but we're not a watered down wine kind of crowd. LOL! I made a kick-ass hasenfeffer for my last 16th century event, and another woman brought bear stew (gamey, but good, I have to say). I'll do a post on Medieval foods later.

We'll have to all go out to a high tea at one of the fancy hotels when RWA's conference is here in 2008. The St. Francis makes the most amazing scones . . .

After reading reviews of this book and hearing one of the authors speak at an all day seminar on the O'Brian books, I've always wonderd if the recipes were as doable as the author insisted. Thanks for trying it, Kalen. It was clear to me that I was never going to get beyond wondering about it.

BTW, When I first read the word kickshaws, my mind went to the three-wheeler taxis you see in India called rickshaws. I wondered if the names had a common link. Then you mentioned that kickshaws comes from quelque chose. Since the Brits named the Indian vehicle, I wonder which French phrase they used.